Harwood to head IHG in Australasia and Japan

She replaces Karin Sheppard, who moves to London to take on the new position as IHG’s managing director, Europe.

Leanne Harwood

Harwood will be responsible for the operations, growth and performance of more than 70 hotels in the Australasia and Japan Business Unit. She will oversee the regional teams in Sydney and Tokyo as they continue their growth momentum in Australasia and prepare for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics in Japan.

Prior to her appointment, Harwood was vice president for IHG’s operations in Southeast Asia and Korea, based in Bangkok, overseeing the operations and performance of more than 60 hotels in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Korea.

She has also worked for a number of hotel companies in a variety of countries including Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and French Polynesia.

She has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry with more than a decade at IHG.